


The Nature of Things

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Acceptance, Canon Compliant, Canon Non-Binary Character, Canon Universe, Canonical Character Death, Child Abuse, Child Death, Child Neglect, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Death, Deathfic, Determination (Undertale), First Meetings, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kinda, Non-Binary Chara, Non-Binary Frisk, Nonbinary Chara and Frisk, Nonbinary Character, POV First Person, POV Second Person, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Canon, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Undertale Pacifist Route, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-12 23:36:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15351246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: bonus ending!! [does a lil dance]There's a slow, constant beeping. Everything feels soft and warm."Chara, can you hear me?" My mother's hand brushes against my face, pushing my bangs off of my forehead. "We want you to wake up.""Chara," my father says gently, "you have to stay determined.""C'mon, Chara," my brother whines, "wake up . . ."Your voice cuts through the dreamlike darkness, clean and clear and true.Wake up.I open my eyes.





	The Nature of Things

"It's me, your best friend!"

**"ASRIEL DREEMURR"**

My head is a spinning top. A dam has opened in my mind and all of a sudden I'm flooded with memories of a better time.

* * *

_"Chara?"_

_I nodded. Everything hurt and my legs felt like jelly, but the monster helping me up was surprisingly strong._

_"That's a nice name. My name is Asriel."_

* * *

_"Okay, Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face!"_

_I sighed, feigning disinterest, then flashed him my best wide-eyed grimace._

_"AHHHHH!!" He started laughing, closing one eye to look down into the camera. "Oh! Wait!"_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I had the lens cap on . . ."_

_I shrugged. "Oh well, I guess you're not getting a video of my amazing creepy face."_

_"What?! You're not gonna do it again . . . ?"_

_"Nope!"_

_"Come on, quit tricking me!" He giggled._

* * *

_"_ Wow _, that's a lot of butter."_

_"I know, right? That's what makes it so good!"_

_I opened up the fridge. "Bad news, bro," I said as I looked in the miniature cabinet in the door. "I don't think we have any."_

_"Aw, what? But that's, like, one of the most important ingredients!"_

_"I know." I continued to search in vain, then sighed and shut the door, folding my arms. "Maybe we could find a substitute?"_

_"Maybe . . ." He played with the tuft of fur on his elbow. "Oh! Maybe we can use buttercups!"_

_"I guess it's worth a shot."_

_"C'mon, let's go pick some!"_

_"Okay, but we'll need a lot of extras. The ones on the table are wilting fast."_

* * *

_"I just want everyone to be happy."_

* * *

_"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!"_

_I smiled and stuck out my tongue at him._

_"Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on . . . ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason!" He laughed, obviously proud of himself for coming up with such an amazing prank._

_"Hey, Azzy, do you remember what happened last year?"_

_"What? Oh yeah, I remember. We tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad, right?"_

_"The recipe asked for cups of butter . . . But we put in buttercups instead."_

_"Pretty dumb of us, huh?"_

_"Yeah. Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset."_

_"I know."_

_"I should have laughed it off, like you did . . ."_

_A lump rose in my throat. I looked down at the carpet._

_"Um, anyway, where are you going with this?"_

_I bit my lip. "Can you turn that off?"_

_"Huh? Turn off the camera . . . ?"_

_"Please?"_

_"Okay."_

_He clicks it off and sets it aside on his bed, then slides down to sit next to me. "What's up?"_

_"Do you remember the surface, Azzy?"_

_He shook his head. "I was born down here."_

_"But do you remember the story about how to get there?"_

_"Yeah. A monster with seven human SOULs can break the barrier and free us all, everyone knows that."_

_"But you don't_ need _to have seven."_

_He blinked. "What're you talking about?"_

_I turned to face him. "A human who's absorbed at least one monster SOUL, or vice versa, can cross the barrier."_

_"You're not saying we should-"_

_"No, nothing like that. I just . . ." I sighed and hugged my knees. "I can't stop thinking about it."_

_"Chara-"_

_"I want to make another pie, but this one will just be for me."_

_"What?"_

_"You heard me. I'll die, and then you can take my SOUL, cross the barrier, get six more, then come back and free everyone."_

_"That's crazy!"_

_"I know, but think about it. Don't the legends say that an angel will come from the surface and empty the underground? What if the angel is supposed to be me?"_

_"But, Chara . . . I don't want you to die."_

_"Don't worry, I'll be with you. My SOUL will still be alive, just not my body."_

_He sighed, thinking it over._

_"Do you trust me, Azzy?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Aw, c'mon, stop crying." I reached up to wipe away the tears streaking the soft fur on his face. "You're such a crybaby," I teased._

_He laughed a little. "Yeah, I know."_

* * *

_"I . . . I don't like this plan, Chara."_

_"Azzy, c'mon. We_ have _to do this." I paused. "Are you-"_

_"Wh . . . What? N-no, I'm not . . . big kids don't cry."_

_Something twists in my gut._

_"We're going to free everyone, Az."_

_"Yeah, you're right."_

_"You're not having second thoughts, right?"_

_"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara . . ."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Never!"_

_"We'll be okay, right?"_

_"Y . . . yeah! We'll be strong!" He wiped his cheeks with the heels of his hands. "We'll free everyone."_

_I nodded, gaze set. "I'll get started."_

_"I'll go get the flowers."_

* * *

_I could feel Mama's hand on mine. "Chara . . . Can you hear me? We want you to wake up . . ."_

* * *

_Dad's voice came from my other side. "Chara! You have to stay determined!" It started to waver, and my chest felt tighter than before. "You can't give up . . ." One of his big hands brushed my hair from where it was stuck to my sweaty face. "You are the future of humans and monsters . . ."_

* * *

_"Psst . . ." Asriel hissed, "Chara . . . Please . . . Wake up . . . I don't like this plan anymore. I . . ." His voice broke. "I . . ." He let out a small sob. ". . . no, I said . . . I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six . . . And we'll do it together, right?"_

_He pressed something into my hand. I could just barely register it as my locket. He kissed my forehead._

* * *

_The power was unlike anything I've ever imagined, but I focused instead on the task at hand. My body lay before me on the bed, frail and limp and sad. I easily scooped it up into my- Asriel's-_ our _arms and headed for the Barrier._

_The sunlight was almost overwhelming after so long underground. I'd felt it since falling down here, but it had always been filtering through the Barrier. Asriel looked out onto the horizon with astonishment._

_"It's so beautiful," he said._

_I hadn't gotten the hang of speaking with his strange mouth, so instead, I just thought_  yeah. It is.

_"Does it always look like that?"_

Only at sunset.

_"Wow."_

I know.  _I smiled. It was pleasantly warm through Asriel's silky fur._ Now come on, we're on a mission. We'll have plenty of time to soak it all in once we're finished.

_"Okay."_

_It wasn't a very long walk to the village, but it wasn't short, either. Dusk had settled all around us. Fireflies pulsed their lights as they flew about, giving the Surface an almost magical ambience._

_The flower patch was easy to find. It almost felt like coming home as I lay my empty body down between the thin stalks of small purple flowers and over the bed of yellow petals resting below._

_"What are these?"_

The purple one is Aster,  _I explained._ The yellow is called Tickseed. Or Baby Sun. Or Coreopsis Grandiflora.

_"Why does it have so many names?"_

I don't know. I just like it.

_"Me too." He folded my body's hands over my locket. "Can we pick some and put them in your hair and stuff?"_

_"Sure, we've got some time."_

_We set to work, sometimes arguing for control over an arm or where a flower should go, but it was mostly a quiet, peaceful process._

_"There. I think that's good."_

Yeah. Thanks, Azzy. I almost look like I'm sleeping.

_He laughed a little at that. "You look happy, too."_

That's pretty ironic, huh?

_He laughed again._

_A light switched off in a nearby house. The moonlight washed over my ashen face, taking away the yellow tinge of my skin for a moment._

_"Sorry, I don't know how human funerals work. Usually, we just spread someone's dust over something they loved, but . . ."_

It's okay. I always loved the flowers.

_A door opened. Someone cocked a gun._

_"Don't move!"_

_Asriel froze. Our heart started pounding in our chest._

_"Jenna," the man said, "go call Ricky! Tell 'im we found that kid, and we got a body that needs takin' care of!"_

FIGHT, _I shouted in our mind,_ FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT. KILL HIM BEFORE HE KILLS YOU.

_"What? No! I can't- You said we would take them from people who were already-"_

This is different, Asriel. He will kill you without a second thought, no regrets, no remorse. Humans are evil creatures; you need to defend yourself!

_"Humans aren't evil, you're proof of that."_

They ARE! Now kill him! Even if you don't kill him, we need to get out of here! We need to RUN!

_He lifted my body from the flowerbed, tucking my head into our chest, and bolted for the mountain._

This was so stupid, I can't believe we thought this was going to work, I should've known, I never should have gotten you mixed up in all of this, this is all my fault, you're going to die because of me, I'm so stupid, I'm evil, I'm a terrible person, I'm a horrible sibling- I'm an awful friend-

_A sharp pain in our back. Asriel kept running._

_There were people shouting._

GO GO GO RUN RUN RUN GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED ASRIEL YOU CAN'T DIE THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN-

_We collapsed on the other side. My body fell limply to the side. I could feel pieces of our form falling off and crumbling into dust._

_I started to cry._

* * *

I turn to you. There are tears in your eyes. Your expression sets itself; determination.

I look up at my brother.

Infinite attack power. Infinite defenses. He's the absolute GOD of Hyperdeath!

"It's the end," I say, voice shaking.

My stomach turns, but looking back at you, something stirs.

"You know . . . I don't care about destroying this world anymore. After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline . . . I just want to reset everything. All your progress . . . Everyone's memories . . . I'll bring them all back to zero!" 

You hold on to your hopes. You don't let go. 

"Then we can do everything ALL over again. And you know what the best part of all this is? You'll DO it."

You think about why you're here now . . . The empty space in your pockets gets smaller and smaller! 

"And then you'll lose to me again. And again. And again!!! Because you want a  _happy ending_. Because you  _love your friends_. Because you  _never give up_."

Through DETERMINATION, your dreams become truth. Your HoPe is fully restored.

"Isn't that delicious? Your  _determination_. The power that let you get this far . . . it's gonna be your downfall! Now, ENOUGH messing around! It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!"

Something pulls on your SOUL, but still you resist. You refuse to let yourself be taken. 

". . . Even after that attack, you're still standing in my way . . . ? Wow . . . You really  _are_ something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!!" 

Everything goes white for an instant, then fades to black.

He's standing before us, blocking the way. 

 _"I'm gonna be just like him one_ day;" I remember him saying as he held up a drawing. _"Really strong and powerful. And then we'll free everyone!"_

I can't help but laugh at the irony.

You try to struggle, but can't move your body. 

He laughs. "Behold my TRUE power!"

You don't move fast enough. Your SOUL shatters and-

. . . pieces itself back together.

**It refused.**

"I can feel it," he says. "Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more. Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you."

The whole world is ending.

"Still, you're hanging on . . . ? That's fine. In a few moments, you'll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!"

I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do, I-

"Still?! Come on . . . Show me what good your DETERMINATION is now!"

You keep struggling.

You can't move your body. Nothing happens.

You struggle . . . Nothing happens.

You try to reach your SAVE file. Nothing happens. 

You try again to reach your SAVE file. Nothing happens. 

"Seems SAVING the game really is impossible." 

You look desperately to me for help.

". . . But . . ."

I clench my hands into fists.

"Maybe, with what little power you have . . ."

You nod.

_You can SAVE something else._

You reach out to ASRIEL's SOUL and call out to your friends.

 _Our_ friends.

They're in there somewhere, aren't they?

Within the depths of ASRIEL's SOUL, something's resonating!

You reach out to Toriel and Asgore first. 

You refuse to fight their Lost Souls. Something about this is so familiar to them.

"This is for your own good."

"Forgive me for this."

The Lost Souls stand there, and you hug them. You tell them that you're going to see them again. 

"No one will leave again." 

"This is my duty." 

You tell them you prefer cinnamon over butterscotch. I still disapprove, but it seems to put them somewhat at ease. They faintly recall hearing this before.

They're both quiet.

You tell them that you won't fight them. That you won't hurt them, no matter what.

The memories are flooding back!

"Your fate is up to you now!"

"You are our future!"

You feel something faintly resonating within ASRIEL.

You reach out to Sans and Papyrus.

You make a bad pun about skeletons. One of the Lost Souls seems to hate it . . . but the other seems to like it. 

"I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!"

"just give up. i did."

You ask them for help with a puzzle. They don't know why, but they really want to help you.

"THEN EVERYONE WILL . . ."

"why even try?"

You ask them to cook something for you. They're trying to hide their joy . . . 

"you'll never see 'em again."

You tell them you'll think about what you've done. They nod solemnly, and-

"NO! WAIT! YOU'RE MY FRIEND! I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!!"

"nah. i'm rootin for ya, kid."

You reach out to Alphys.

You ask the Lost Soul for help on a quiz question. They barely hold back from giving you the answer.

"You hate me, don't you . . . ?"

You ask the Lost Soul what their favourite cartoon is. They can barely hold back from giving you an enormous answer.

"I've got to keep lying."

You call them on your phone. They start to sweat.

The memories come flooding back!

"No, that's not true! My friends like me! And I like you, too!"

Best for last, in my opinion.

You reach out to Undyne.

You tap the Lost Soul lightly with your fist. Something about the way you fight is familiar.

"All humans will die!"

You ask them to teach you how to cook. They don't know why, but they kind of want to . . . 

"You're our real enemy."

You give them a big smile, like you remember she likes to do.

The memories are flooding back!

"Well, some humans are okay, I guess!"

You reach out to someone else.

Strangely, as your friends remembered you . . . something else began resonating within the SOUL, stronger and stronger.

It seems that there's still one last person that needs to be saved.

You look up at me, as if to ask  _who_?

Then, suddenly, you realize. You take my hand and I take yours, and we reach out and call their name.

**_"ASRIEL!"_ **

"Huh? What are you doing . . . ?!"

* * *

_"It sounds like it came from over here . . ."_

_I fell because I wanted to die._

_"Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?"_

_Then he found me._

_"Are you okay? Here, get up . . . What's your name?"_

_"Chara," I said, monotone. I didn't want to be alive, I didn't want to be dealing with this. Then again, maybe he was an angel, come to take me home?_

_But why would an angel take me to Hell, where I so obviously belonged? I looked up._

_Oh._

_He wasn't an angel. He seemed kind like one, though. I didn't want him to leave my side._

_"Chara?"_

_I nodded. Everything hurt and my legs felt like jelly, but the monster helping me up was surprisingly strong._

_"That's a nice name. My name is Asriel."_

_He took me to his home._

_His mother took to me immediately, laying me down in his bed at his insistence and checking up on me, trying to keep me from getting worse. Trying to fix me._

_Couldn't they see I couldn't be fixed?_

_They were moths to my flame. What they didn't know was that I wasn't a flame; I was an electric bug trap, designed to hurt things I tried to care for._

_But they didn't leave me alone, even when I tried to run away from them and finish what I'd started._

_Toriel hid the knives, always keeping them out of reach. The fire was only ever pleasantly warm. She made sure my knitting needles were round, and my pencils weren't too sharp._

_Asgore held me firmly, but not harshly, when I tried to bang my scrawny limbs against the walls and leave purple bruises all over myself. Eventually, I would fall asleep in his arms. His fur was like a blanket._

_Asriel cared for me in the ways that only kids can. He drew me pictures and put flowers in my hair. He went and got our parents when I had nightmares. He made sure I knew that they would never hurt me. He was my best friend._

_I didn't show my face for the royal family portrait, but they were just happy I was there._

_They loved me._

_I loved them._

* * *

Asriel looks down at his hands.

"Wh . . . what did you do . . . ?"

I swallow. My tongue feels thick and dry in my mouth.

"What's this feeling? What's happening to me?"

Tears streaked down through the fur on his face.

"No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!"

He keeps attacking.

. . .

"STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me?! I'll tear you apart!"

Those are all things I once said to them.

"Chara . . . Do you know why I'm doing this? Why I keep fighting to keep you around?"

His attacks go limp. Fire lazily cascades down around you, but never touches you.

I don't know what to say.

"I'm doing this because you're special, Chara. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore."

I think I'm crying now, too.

"No . . . It's not JUST that. I . . . I . . . I'm doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else! I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again . . . So, please . . . STOP doing this . . . AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!"

He hits you as hard as he can, but you keep a firm grip on my hand. I throw what little left of my SOUL I still have, however crumbled and weak, in front of yours.

"STOP IT!!"

We hold on.

"STOP IT NOW!!!"

Your shoulders are shaking, but you stand your ground, and I stand mine before you.

We stay determined.

We keep trying to save him.

"Chara . . ."

You don't give up.

"I'm so alone, Chara . . ."

My heart aches when he says it, but I hold on with you.

"I'm so afraid, Chara . . ."

We keep holding on.

"Chara, I . . ."

We don't give up.

"I . . ." 

Everything fades to black, and then there he is, just how I remember him from who knows how long ago.

"I'm so sorry."

He looks up, a sad little smile on his face.

"I always was a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

You don't say anything. Neither do I.

". . . I know. You're not actually Chara, are you?"

I swear my heart stops when he says that.

"Chara's been gone for a long time."

He's quiet for a moment.

"Um . . . What  _is_ your name?"

 _Frisk_ , you sign.

"Frisk? That's . . . a nice name." He takes a deep breath. "Frisk . . . I haven't felt like this for a long time."

You tilt your head.

"As a flower, I was soulless," he explains. "I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's souls inside me . . . I not only have my own compassion back, but I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And . . . they care about you too, Frisk. I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys . . . Toriel." He smiles when he says her name. He almost laughs. "Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you, it feels like they all really love you." He forces a little laugh, then sniffles before continuing. "Frisk, I . . . I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me."

"God, he's stupid," I say softly, a smile on my face and tears streaking down my cheeks. I fall to my knees. 

He doesn't even know I'm there.

"I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders . . . There's no excuse for what I've done." 

You forgive him.

"Wh . . . what?" He smiles. "Frisk, come on. You're- you're gonna make me cry again. Besides, even if you do forgive me, I can't keep these souls inside of me."

Even I can't smile when he says that. 

"The least I can do is return them. But first, there's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power- with everyone's determination, it's time for monsters to finally go free."

My chest wells up with pride and pain as he rises slowly from the ground, the souls leaving his body and swirling in the darkness, beating against the barrier. White inverted hearts, along with six upright ones of cyan and blue and green and yellow and orange and purple, all working together as one unified front.

The barrier is destroyed.

He settles back down to the ground.

"Frisk . . . I have to go now."

I just about deflate. "Azzy . . ." I scramble to my feet. "Azzy, please-"

"Without the power of everyone's souls, I can't keep maintaining this form."

"Azzy, please. There has to be a way. There  _has_ to. W-we saved you, we can do this. We can find a way. We can-"

"In a little while, I'll turn back into a flower."

"Azzy, no.  _No_. I can't let that happen. You can't die. Not again,  _please_. This was never supposed to happen."

"I'll stop being  _myself_."

I try to put my hands on his face, try to get him to listen, to look at me, but I phase right through him. 

"I'll stop being able to feel love again." 

There's nothing I can do.

"So, Frisk."

I try in vain to hold him, to let him know I'm there. We saved him, we did it, he's here, surely we can keep him here. We can save him for good. He deserves it. He deserves the world. I kept you from dying, didn't I? I try to shove the crumbling pieces of my soul inside him, into his chest where his own white heart should be, but it's no use. It's too broken for even me to use. I'm only here because of you.

"It's best if you just forget about me, okay?"

I can't do that. I could never do that. I can't live in a world without him. I can't forget about him. I can't, I can't, I can't.

"Just go be with the people who love you."

You rush forward, through me, and hug him as tightly as you can. 

After a moment, he wraps his arms around you in return.

I focus my energy and take hold of your body, and I can feel him. I can feel his soft fur, smell the honeysuckle and vanilla and ginger that always surrounds him. I can feel his hands on my back. I can grab his shirt in my fists and shut my eyes tight and forget that this is the last time I'll ever see him.

You pat his back, but let me stay in control. I can't thank you enough.

He laughs a little. It's sad, but it's genuine, and I can only squeeze him tighter.

"I don't want to let go."

"Neither do I," I whisper. 

 _I love you_ , he hears.

He slowly pulls away after another minute or two. 

"Frisk, you're . . ." He lets out a shaky sigh and wipes his eyes on the heels of his hands. "You're going to do a great job, okay?" No matter what you do, everyone will be there for you, okay?"

You nod. 

"Well . . . my time's running out." He gives you a little wave. "Goodbye."

He starts to walk away, but stops himself. "By the way . . . Frisk. Take care of Mom and Dad for me, okay?"

You nod again, and he goes on his way.

* * *

It's a long journey all the way back to the beginning, but you insist we make the trip. We talk to a lot of people on the way, making sure they know what happened, but they all already know, and they all call you Frisk. 

Asriel is staring at the flowers you fell on at the start of your adventure. It feels like a lifetime ago.

My body is down there, I suddenly realize. The thought makes me shiver.

"Don't worry about me," Asriel says as you approach. "Someone has to take care of these flowers."

You stand there for a while, just looking at the flowers with him. 

"Frisk," he says, "please leave me alone. I can't come back. I just can't, okay? I don't want to break their hearts all over again. It's better if they never see me." 

You sit down beside him, pointedly ignoring his requests.

". . . why are you still here? Are you trying to keep me company?"

You nod.

"Frisk . . ." He smiles at you. "Hey, let me ask you a question."

You look at him expectantly.

"Why did you come here?"

Images flash through your mind. Kids laughing, adults yelling. You push them away.

You stay silent.

"Everyone knows the legend, right? Travellers who climb Mount Ebott are said to disappear. Why would you ever climb a mountain like that? Was it foolishness? Was it fate? Or was it because you . . . ?"

You try not to think about your mother, who did nothing when your father did awful things to you. You try not to think about your father, who shouted at you for not speaking, for flapping your hands. For being yourself. You try not to think about him chasing you, chasing you, chasing you-

. . . You stay silent. 

"Well. Only you know the answer, don't you?"

There's a moment of quiet.

"I know why Chara climbed the mountain," he finally says. "It wasn't for a very happy reason."

My stomach turns with guilt.

"Frisk, I'll be honest with you. Chara hated humanity. Why they did, they never talked about it. But they felt very strongly about that."

He studies you for a while.

"Frisk, you really  _are_ different from Chara. In fact, though you have similar, uh, fashion choices . . ."

I look from your purple and blue sweater to my green and yellow one. I _guess_ I can see the resemblance.

"I don't know why I ever acted like you were the same person. Maybe, the truth is, Chara wasn't  _really_ the greatest person."

I remember all the times he'd told me I was, trying to get me to feel better. I realize he's right. I screwed up just like any other person. I screwed up just like any other kid. I made a lot of mistakes that I didn't always apologize for.

"While, Frisk, you're the type of friend I wish I always had."

My heart sinks. You probably would have been better for him, but . . . I can't help feeling rejected.

"So maybe I was kind of projecting a little bit. Let's be honest; I did some weird stuff as a flower."

The three of us sit quietly for a little while longer.

"There's one last thing I feel like I should tell you. Frisk, when Chara and I combined our SOULs together, the control over our body was actually split between us. They were the one that picked up their own empty body. And then, when we got to the village, they were the one that wanted to . . . to use our full power."

"On  _one_ man. My rage was justified," I huff. You put your hand over mine on the ground.

"I was the one that resisted. And then, because of me, we . . ."

My throat feels like it's closing up.

"Well, that's why I ended up a flower. Frisk, this whole time I've blamed myself for that decision. That's why I adopted that horrible view of the world. Kill or be killed."

It feels like someone is twisting a knife in my gut.

"But now, after meeting you . . . Frisk, I don't regret that decision anymore. I did the right thing."

I can't help but smile. He's right.

"If I killed those humans, we would have had to wage war against all of humanity. And in the end, everyone went free, right? I still feel kind of sad knowing how long it took . . . so maybe it wasn't a perfect decision."

"It wasn't a perfect plan," I say softly. You squeeze my hand.

"But you can't regret hard choices your whole life, right?" He laughs. "Well, not that I have much of a life left."

I sigh through my nose. He doesn't deserve this. 

"But that's besides the point."

We keep sitting there. I lay down in the golden flowers and close my eyes.

"Frisk, thank you for listening to me. You should really go be with your friends now, okay? Oh, and, please, in the future, if you, uh, see me . . . don't think of it as  _me_ , okay?"

A breath I don't need hitches on it's way in.

"I just want you to remember me like this. Someone that was your friend for a little while. Oh, and Frisk, be careful in the outside world, okay? Despite what everyone thinks, it's not as nice as it is here. There are a lot of Floweys out there. And not everything can be resolved by just being nice. Frisk . . . don't kill, and don't  _be_ killed, alright? That's the best you can strive for."

You nod.

"Well," he says, wiping his nose on his sleeve, "see you."

You're about to leave, but stop when you realize that I'm not with you. I'm still laying down in the flowers, just above my body, hands clasped over my stomach and eyes closed, almost like I'm sleeping.

"I'm staying here," I tell you. There's a certain finality in the way I say it. An odd sort of determination. But you don't move.

Asriel sighs. "Frisk . . . don't you have anything better to do?"

You stay exactly where you are. 

"Go on. You'll be okay on your own, I know it. But I have to stay here."

"Chara . . ."

Asriel looks up. "What?"

You shake your head.  _It's nothing_ you sign. 

Your footsteps as you walk away are the last thing I hear.

**Author's Note:**

> bonus ending!! [does a lil dance]
> 
>   
>    
> 
> 
> There's a slow, constant beeping. Everything feels soft and warm.
> 
> "Chara, can you hear me?" My mother's hand brushes against my face, pushing my bangs off of my forehead. "We want you to wake up."
> 
> "Chara," my father says gently, "you have to stay determined."
> 
> "C'mon, Chara," my brother whines, "wake up . . ."
> 
> Your voice cuts through the dreamlike darkness, clean and clear and true.
> 
> _Wake up._
> 
> I open my eyes.


End file.
